Old movie, but it should be a fan fave. Since we are discussing TFA and how heavily it lifted from ANH (and IMO ESB) what do you feel when you see one of the movies that allegedly influenced ANH?
So who here actually watched Kurosawas "The hidden fortress"?
- Thread starter DaddyfromNaboo
- Start date
cayman shen
Master Member
I'm a huge Kurosawa fan. Have a Hidden Fortress poster in my bedroom in fact. I don't see it and think "Oh, this influenced Star Wars." I see it and I think "Oh, this is a Kurosawa samurai flick." Having said that, the parallels are obvious. In many ways (certainly direction) I'd have to admit that I think Hidden Fortress is the better picture (though it's FAR from Kurosawa's best)...but I'm glad Lucas cribbed off it for ANH and TPM.
Anyone stumbling onto this thread who doesn't know Kurosawa should really check out Seven Samurai. I don't think I'm crazy to say that it's the greatest motion picture ever made
Anyone stumbling onto this thread who doesn't know Kurosawa should really check out Seven Samurai. I don't think I'm crazy to say that it's the greatest motion picture ever made
Attachments
yaris
Sr Member
It's ironic you bring this up......George Lucas.......ripped off The Hidden Fortress.
The Hidden Fortress is actually a Tale Stolen......scene for scene from.......where???
The Bible!!
Where is the evidence of this??.....
It's a classic line from The Simpsons...when Homer says.."I watched Star Wars and The Bible has the exact same story"
When Homer is asked to show where this 'story' is...he says.."somewhere in the back"
Can you now see how pointless this entire premise is?
The Hidden Fortress is actually a Tale Stolen......scene for scene from.......where???
The Bible!!
Where is the evidence of this??.....
It's a classic line from The Simpsons...when Homer says.."I watched Star Wars and The Bible has the exact same story"
When Homer is asked to show where this 'story' is...he says.."somewhere in the back"
Can you now see how pointless this entire premise is?
YenChih Lin
Master Member
DaddyfromNaboo : not yet, but I have planned. Since when can you read minds? I thought about the same, after watching OT and TFA.
Last edited by a moderator:
R.P. McMurphy
Well-Known Member
I totally saw R2 and 3PO on Tatooine when the peasants were roaming the desert.
I've seen it. Got it on DVD.
SW is a ripoff of The Hidden Fortress in the same way as The Road Warrior is a ripoff of Shane.
There's a heck more original material in that movie than the few plot elements borrowed from the earlier film.
and The Seven Samurai is the greatest film of all time.
SW is a ripoff of The Hidden Fortress in the same way as The Road Warrior is a ripoff of Shane.
There's a heck more original material in that movie than the few plot elements borrowed from the earlier film.
and The Seven Samurai is the greatest film of all time.
cayman shen
Master Member
Oh my god, the Road Warrior is Shane! I always got that it was a western, but I never even caught any of the Shane nods. If possible, that makes me love it even a little bit more.
In terms of HF providing the bones of SW, I guess you can see an earlier writer's influence in a million books, movies, plays, etc. There's only so many plots. If it's good enough for Shakespeare and Quentin Tarantino, then it's good enough for me :lol Oh Brother Where Art Thou is the Odyssey, etc etc etc. You can do it with almost any movie if you try, I guess. GL just admitted to borrowing the framework. But just about every artist consciously or not will use a more or less existing plot structure, unless they're writing Upstream Color or something.
PHArchivist
Master Member
Watched Yojimbo but not Hidden Fortress.
Talking about GL lifting plot structure and actual dialogue, try The Dam Busters...
Talking about GL lifting plot structure and actual dialogue, try The Dam Busters...
I saw The Hidden Fortress back in film school, and, knowing that Lucas used that film as a reference for Star Wars, I noticed a LOT of similarities between the two.
SB
SB
Kyuzo
Active Member
Seen it, and George Lucas surely lifted the characters and plot from it + Flash Gordon and you basically have Star Wars. The ultimate popcorn movie. What George did more was getting McQuarrie and Johnston, the best design team ever. Mcquarrrie made wonderful designs, johnston made them believeable. What he then did is Empire!! That for me is where the genius of Star Wars lies. Empire! Empire! This is what gets me mad. Don't compare TFA with Star Wars or ESB, compare it with like age of ultron, then it's actually totally fine. Yeah I don't know where I'm going. Just want to say everybody interested in these kinds of questions should check out:
http://kitbashed.com/
Think I've learned about it here on the forums and it's only about the inspirations, kind of like The Magic of Myth, which is probably my favourite Star Wars fact book.
BTW ofcourse
Seven Samurai is the greatest movie of all time.
Kurosawa is the greatest director of all time.
http://kitbashed.com/
Think I've learned about it here on the forums and it's only about the inspirations, kind of like The Magic of Myth, which is probably my favourite Star Wars fact book.
BTW ofcourse
Seven Samurai is the greatest movie of all time.
Kurosawa is the greatest director of all time.
Yep. It even has Joey=Feral Kid. And Max punches Pappagallo to drive the rig like Shane punches Starrett to face off with Wilson.
Last edited:
I have The Hidden Fortress on DVD. It's a gorgeously shot film. I can see the parallels that Lucas drew from Hidden Fortress into his work. Lucas borrowed from all kinds of sources though honestly most art is really just imitation and there really are only a handful of plots.
I really enjoyed Hidden Fortress though I enjoy Seven Samurai more. Years ago I saw a collection of his short films he'd made towards the end of his life and they were more esoteric or metaphorical in nature. Very interesting and beautiful. I also have copies of Throne of Blood which is Kurasawa's version of MacBeth, plus Rashoman, both of which I have yet to watch. I also have Sword of Doom. Different film maker but also a Samurai film from the same era in film making.
Being a huge influence of Lucas is what initially drew me to Kurasawa's movies but his cinematography is what really impressed me. His landscapes and sense of scope are just pleasing to the eye and to shoot in black and white and still have that sense of vibrant image is in my estimation the mark of a true artist.
I have to take the time to watch those other films in my collection.
I really enjoyed Hidden Fortress though I enjoy Seven Samurai more. Years ago I saw a collection of his short films he'd made towards the end of his life and they were more esoteric or metaphorical in nature. Very interesting and beautiful. I also have copies of Throne of Blood which is Kurasawa's version of MacBeth, plus Rashoman, both of which I have yet to watch. I also have Sword of Doom. Different film maker but also a Samurai film from the same era in film making.
Being a huge influence of Lucas is what initially drew me to Kurasawa's movies but his cinematography is what really impressed me. His landscapes and sense of scope are just pleasing to the eye and to shoot in black and white and still have that sense of vibrant image is in my estimation the mark of a true artist.
I have to take the time to watch those other films in my collection.
Similar threads
